River Falls woman admits to unintentional murder of man outside St. Paul home

A River Falls woman admitted to unintentionally killing a St. Paul man outside his home last fall during an altercation she was having with another woman.

Denise Chanel White, 28, pleaded guilty Monday in Ramsey County District Court to one count of unintentional second-degree murder while committing a felony in the death of Dawahn Littles, court records say.

Per the terms of a plea deal she reached with the state, the charge of intentional second-degree murder previously facing White will be dismissed.

Her attorney, Marcus Almon, said Tuesday that his client didn’t mean to cause Littles’ death.

“She never intended to hurt Mr. Littles and she feels really bad about it,” Almon said.

Littles and others were gathered outside his home on Dale Street during the early morning hours last October when he was hit by bullets, according to his brother’s statement to police.

His brother heard him yell, “I’m hit,” just before White fled the scene holding a small handgun, court documents say.

Littles died at St. Paul’s Region’s Hospital later that morning.

The incident occurred about 5 a.m. last Oct. 21 after Littles reportedly had people back to his place in the 600 block of Dale Street after bar closing.

The gathering spilled onto the streets and an altercation broke out.

At some point, White reportedly got into an argument with another women, who eventually pulled out a gun, Almon said.

A River Falls woman admitted to unintentionally killing a St. Paul man outside his home last fall during an altercation she was having with another woman.

Denise Chanel White, 28, pleaded guilty Monday in Ramsey County District Court to one count of unintentional second-degree murder while committing a felony in the death of Dawahn Littles, court records say.

Per the terms of a plea deal she reached with the state, the charge of intentional second-degree murder previously facing White will be dismissed.

Her attorney, Marcus Almon, said Tuesday that his client didn’t mean to cause Littles’ death.

“She never intended to hurt Mr. Littles and she feels really bad about it,” Almon said.

Littles and others were gathered outside his home on Dale Street during the early morning hours last October when he was hit by bullets, according to his brother’s statement to police.

His brother heard him yell, “I’m hit,” just before White fled the scene holding a small handgun, court documents say.

Littles died at St. Paul’s Region’s Hospital later that morning.

The incident occurred about 5 a.m. last Oct. 21 after Littles reportedly had people back to his place in the 600 block of Dale Street after bar closing.

The gathering spilled onto the streets and an altercation broke out.

At some point, White reportedly got into an argument with another women, who eventually pulled out a gun, Almon said.

That’s when his client pulled out her own handgun and the two started firing at each other, Almon said.

During the exchange, White unintentionally struck Littles.

Shortly thereafter, she showed up at an acquaintance’s house holding the gun, legal documents say. The woman’s brother let her inside, where she reportedly sat on the couch and repeatedly said, “I shot him,” according to the man’s statement to investigators.

Littles’ brother later picked White out of a lineup as the woman he saw shoot his brother.

The murder conviction will be the first felony on White’s criminal record.

When she is sentenced in October, the state will argue she deserves to be sentenced to the maximum time recommended for the crime by the state’s sentencing guidelines, or about 15 years. Her defense attorney will argue she deserves the minimum time recommended, or about 11 years.